Adam Ferguson
By day, Lorraine Chow can be found protecting our precious water as the Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator for the Santa Fe Watershed Association. In her free time, however, Chow has been hard at work reimagining the versatility of green chile through the lens of her Chinese heritage. Chow’s blending of cultural influences sparked her recently released creation: Green Chile Crisp, a creative twist on the popular Asian chili oil condiment made by merging New Mexican and Chinese culinary traditions. Luckily, Chow is ready to share the product art the upcoming A Very Merry Crispmas: Green Chile Crisp Intro + Launch Party (4:30 pm Thursday, Dec. 11. $40-$75. The Kitchen Table, 313 Camino Alire, (505) 226-1984). The event offers an opportunity to get a taste of the good stuff—and to even bring a couple jars home. Can’t wait? Pick up a jar at Picnic NM Cheese Shop (505 Cerrillos Road, (802) 595-2251). In either case, we spoke with Chow to get the scoop on her upcoming launch party. This interview has been edited for clarity and concision. (Adam Ferguson)
What is your personal connection to the original chili oil?
I honestly don’t remember a time when it wasn’t in my life. It’s always been in my family. My grandfather made the spiciest food, and there was always a layer of chili oil on top of everything he made. My parents are from Hong Kong and my dad’s dad is from Beijing, so we ate a lot of noodles, dumplings and spicy foods. Mala hot pot was a huge part of my life along with Szechuan peppers. I’ve always tended to really like spicy foods. And actually, the idea of Green Chile Crisp came to me a couple Christmases ago, when I was visiting my mom in Los Angeles where I am originally from. We were all sitting around the kitchen table eating dumplings and of course, Lau Ga Ma was on the table—the OG chili oil crisp. It’s a condiment we’ve always had for our noodles, dumplings and rice. Later that day, I had a light bulb moment when I said to myself, ‘green chile…chili oil…green chile crisp!’ That was a couple years ago and I decided I needed to turn it into a business since nobody else had thought about it yet. I tinkered with the recipe for a couple years, but I had no idea where to really go from there. I have no business experience—I work at a nonprofit and before that I was in journalism. Making money through a business venture just wasn’t in my wheelhouse. Then I saw that The Kitchen Table, the local commercial kitchen, had a grant program with the city of Santa Fe called Elevate your Business. I put my name in the hat, and they chose me as one of the recipients. It was truly life-changing.
What do you feel this merging of culinary traditions means for the chile pepper?
The chile pepper is just so versatile and it’s amazing to see all the different iterations of how chile is used around the world. From all the savory things like burritos and curries to even desserts like ice cream, it’s just really cool to see it used in so many different recipes and flavor combinations in different cultures. My first experience with New Mexican chile was with green. It was one of those moments I realized New Mexico has so much to offer with its vibrant food scene. I stayed at a yurt in Dixon for a week, and the owner there was putting together charcuterie boards with goodies like green chile, local pistachios, cheeses and meats. And that’s when it really clicked. In my opinion, all the best food definitely uses chile peppers. It just makes things taste so much better and adds so much depth and flavor to so many different dishes. But I respect that people’s spice tolerance varies. Green Chile Crisp is very spicy. It has habanero and bird’s eye chili, so it definitely packs a punch. I’ve made it as spicy as I personally like. For folks who are skeptical, I suggest trying it in moderation. I also have realized six months into this business that you just can’t please everybody. I think there is a bit of an education factor with the merging of traditions. Not a lot of folks know what chili crisp is, especially because there’s not a lot of Chinese food here or at least the scene isn’t very robust. The green chile definitely provides a familiarity to a new cuisine and highlights the versatility of the chile pepper.
What can we expect at the launch party?
I decided to have this party because I was like, fuck it, I’m turning 40 and I want to do something that was a bit of a milestone celebration, but I also wanted to take the attention off of me and aim it towards this new business venture. Grand openings are kind of a big deal in the Chinese community, and it just felt right to do it. I really want to show people how this chili oil is something that is very versatile and meaningful. I really hope people find it delicious. It’s something you can use in just about every application. I’m collaborating with The Kitchen Table and Santa Fe Canna Events, who will be making CBD infused hot toddies as a part of the tasting menu. I’m going to be making smashed cucumbers, inspired by my grandfather’s recipe. I’ll be making jammy eggs, which I’d like to think of as my signature dish. It’s like a soft boiled egg that’s marinated in soy sauce and chili. It’s gonna be so ooey-gooey and yolky. And of course, there will be sliders. We’ve got to pay homage to the green chile cheeseburger. I’m also going to have a baker come in from Albuquerque who is also Chinese-American. She’s going to be making sweets with Green Chili Crisp as well, with the Christmas Crisp, which is the new flavor that I’m debuting at the party. It’s a sweeter one and, of course, has red and green chile. But it’s sweeter and also warmer. It has cinnamon and pumpkin spice flavors. And instead of pistachios like the original, it has pepitas. The party is going to be a great chance to share this merging of cultural traditions by coming together through the sharing of food.
